Daughter of the Red Dawn (The Lost Kingdom of Fallada)

by Alicia Michaels

  “You wanna come down here and do something about it, bitch?”

  “Do not tempt her,” Eldalwen said as he appeared by her side, his sword coated in the black blood of the Minotaurs and the blue gore of the Witches’ and Warlocks’ innards. “How are you holding up?”

  Selena caught one of the flying witch-bombs in midair before it could land, hurtling it back at the warlock that had thrown it before using a gust of wind to propel him away from her soldiers.

  “I’m exhausted,” she admitted, swinging her scepter to club a white fox flying right at her face. “How much longer until the Dawn?”

  Eldalwen glanced up at the sky, which had just begun to lighten from midnight to royal blue. “Minutes,” he promised. “Just hold on.”

  Selena nodded and turned back to back with Eldalwen as he had taught her, fighting against the Minotaurs, wolves, and foxes. She dodged the occasional falling rock from the owls above and made sure to avoid their sharp talons; she had seen them swoop down and carry handfuls of Elves and Fae up into the air before dropping their bodies to the cold, hard ground below. She shuddered at the thought of ending life that way. A blow from a falling rock finally clipped her and caught her off balance, knocking her to the ground. The back of her head struck the cold, snowy ground, sending pain radiating out from her head to other parts of her body. The ringing in her ears drowned out the sounds of her father’s concerned voice as he crouched over her, shouting her name and waving his hand in front of her face.

  Selena closed her eyes and then opened them, shaking her head to try to clear it of the dizzy sensation that was gripping her. She was reminded of a time she’d sat down in the cellar with her grandmother during one of the worst tornadoes to ever hit Twin Oaks. Just the sound of all that swirling, howling wind had made Selena dizzy. She’d clapped her hands over her ears to block it out, but it had been too powerful. Thankfully, their house had survived, but many others hadn’t. It had taken months to rebuild many of the stores and homes that had gone down in the face of the monstrous twister.

  Selena flew upright, a wide smile on her face as inspiration struck. She didn’t know where the memory had come from, but it had given her the answer to ending this thing once and for all.

  “We need a twister!” she shouted to Eldalwen, whose face instantly crinkled in confusion at Selena’s declaration.

  “I think you’ve sustained a very serious head injury,” he said, helping her to stand.

  Selena shook her head. “No, I’m fine.”

  Really, her head hurt like hell, but she could ignore it.

  “I just figured out how we’re going to win this thing.”

  Eldalwen grinned. “Spoken like a true warrior. I’m all ears, daughter.”

  “Back home we have these big storms called twisters. Long story short, they happen when cold air fights against hot air, creating a funnel of storm clouds that can spin at up to one hundred miles per hour. They’ll tear up anything in their path.”

  Eldalwen’s eyes widened and so did his smile. “Yes!” he cried, clapping his hands together. “My daughter is both strong and smart! We stand on the line between Damu and Mollac, with cold winds shifting on one side and hot on the other.”

  Selena nodded. “Exactly. When the Red Dawn begins, we can take this thing to the air. Fly up and amass all of our power into a twister. Half of us on one side, half on the other. Once that funnel cloud hits the ground, it’ll do all the work for us.”

  “A display of power,” Thaddeus said as he grabbed a Minotaur by the horns and slammed it down to the ground. “I like it.”

  Selena nodded. “All we have to do is hold on until the Red Dawn.”

  ~*~

  Titus was fading rapidly and he knew it. Holding up the fight throughout the night had been easier said than done. Open scratch wounds from the foxes lined his ribs and the bite mark of another wolf had taken a chunk out of his thigh. He knew that Adrah’s Fae could heal him when this was all over, but at this point was beginning to doubt that he would survive long enough.

  As he looked up to find Selena fighting back to back with King Eldalwen, a burst of energy rushed through him. He had to survive, for her. He knew that the breaking of a bond as strong as theirs would crush her. Titus would never intentionally do that, so he had no choice but to keep fighting. Hope flared in his chest as he joined his father against three of the white shifter wolves. The sky was now sky blue, lined with orange and pink along the horizon. A tiny blot of red began to rise against the sand dunes, bringing shouts and cheers from the Damunian army.

  Eranna’s shrieks of anger could be heard from above. “The Red Dawn approaches!” she bellowed to her flying owls. “Kill her! Kill her now before it’s too late!”

  Rage exploded through Titus as he wished that he could fly as easily as Selena. He would have ripped the ice queen’s heart from her chest hours ago. In a flurry of movement, the white foxes turned away from fighting the wolves and converged onto Selena all at once. The Centaurs picked them off with their bows and arrows one by one and Selena and Eldalwen whipped the rest away with a burst of wind. Titus took down a Minotaur before it could reach her and Orwen ripped one of the massive owls right out of the sky as it swooped down toward the Princess. Titus turned away as his father ripped the owl to shreds in a spray of blood and feathers. The sun continued rising steadily, and the war cry of the Damunians became ‘protect the Princess’. He knew that they had no chance without her. The sun was almost up … just a few more minutes.

  Pain ripped through him as a witch leapt onto his back, digging her gnarled fingers into his open hip wound. Titus kicked her off and tackled her, avoiding her sharp claws as he went for her throat. By the time he climbed from off of the dead witch, the sky had come alive with a red glow. All eyes turned toward the horizon as a massive ball of red flame rose into the sky. Even the cheers of the Damunians went silent as the tip of Selena’s scepter began to glow. A white light poured from her eyes and a golden shimmer surrounded her, kissing her skin and flaming hair. Titus watched, enthralled, convinced that she had never looked more beautiful as she slowly rose and levitated several feet above the ground. A gust of hot air blew through the crowd, bringing with it the surge of powers that the Damunians had been waiting for.

  Each and every pair of eyes went white and they all stretched their arms out and ascended to join Selena in the sky. Wordlessly, they careened upward, their figures growing smaller and smaller as they ascended toward the clouds. Anticipation struck him, and even though Titus had no idea what they were about to do, he knew that it would be something amazing. He had heard enough about the previous Red Dawn to know that these events were always spectacular.

  The battle commenced below, with Eranna’s bellowed commands to her army ringing out overhead. The owls tried to reach Selena, but the other Damunians kept them from her, striking them from the sky with their wind-harnessing weapons and knives. The floating Damunians spread out over the battlefield, half of them moving over to the side of the enemy.

  Then, they began to circle each other.

  Titus could hear the howling of the wind as they flew in circles, picking up speed and harnessing their wind into a funnel. The clouds above answered with thunder and rain, darkening the sky rapidly as lightning flashed. The wind whipped over them, powerfully, and it took Titus everything he had within him to keep his feet on the ground. The clouds began to fold into the wind, creating a circular formation with thunder and lightning crashing inside. Rain poured from the sky, drenching them all. The cloud began to funnel downward, bringing with it more wind and more rain.

  “Get back!” Eldalwen bellowed from his height and Titus helped spread the word through the other wolves as the Centaurs, Elves, and Faeries fell back from the battle lines. The enemy, mistaking this for a retreat, cheered and taunted the running army, heedless of the funneled cloud slowly descending upon them. The Damunians dropped to the ground once again; their bright, white eyes turned up to the sky as the cloud con
tinued to drop. The ground shook once it touched down and Selena raised her scepter in unison with the others who lifted their wind-harnessing instruments. A gale of forceful wind propelled the twisting mass of thunder cloud toward the enemy.

  “Retreat!” came the cry from Eranna overhead as the storm ripped through her army. The storm pounded the ground, ripping up snow and chunks of earth, as well as foxes, Minotaurs, Witches, and owls. Those who were not swept up into the storm ran, mounting their polar bears or the swooping owls. Many took off running on foot, only to be chased down by the swirling storm.

  The eyes of the Damunians faded back to their normal colors and the shimmering glow surrounding Selena burned out. The sun cried out in a sonic blast, swiftly obliterating the red color from the sky and squashing the uncontrolled storm in the blink of an eye.

  Cheers went up from the crowd as the wind quieted and the swirling sand and snow settled back to the ground. The shifters all went back to their human forms, hastily donning the clothing provided by the Elves from carts stationed at the edge of the battlefield. The Healer Fae were already moving about amongst the wounded, tending to those who had been hurt. After Titus pulled on a pair of leather pants, one of the Healers swiftly saw to his injuries. Breathing a sigh of relief as the wounds on his hips and ribs closed up, he accepted a drink of water from the Faerie’s wineskin gratefully before donning a tunic, vest, and boots. Then he went in search of Selena.

  He found her hoisted onto the shoulders of her people, a bright smile on her face. Her hair was windblown around her face, which was streaked with grime, but Titus was looking into heaven. Her brown eyes twinkled as she found him in the crowd and reached out to him.

  “Titus!” she screamed, motioning for the men to put her back on her feet. They did, reluctantly, and the crowd parted to allow her through. She ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Titus laughed and held on, fighting it keep his balance as she mashed her lips against his.

  “We did it!” she cried, tears mingling with laughter. “We won!”

  Titus smiled and set her on her feet. “Yes, we did, Princess. Damu’s peace has been restored for now.”

  She kissed him again, gripping the lapels of his vest tightly.

  “Now what?” he asked after she’d left him breathless. The celebration continued around them but Titus heard none of it with Selena in his arms. Her smile was bright as she laughed.

  “Haven’t you ever read a fairytale, Titus?” she asked with a giggle. “Don’t you know how they always end?”

  Titus caught Jake Grimm’s eye as he walked past, a double-barreled rifle over his shoulder. He winked at Titus.

  “And they lived happily ever after,” the Grimm brother said with a smile as he disappeared back into the crowd.

  ~*~

  Epilogue

  Yes, my friend, that is how we won the battle on the Day of the Red Dawn. I have watched these events through the Eye of Goldun and could not be more pleased. Our Selena has certainly come into her own, hasn’t she? I am sure you’d like to know all about the wedding ceremony. Yes, I attended, and it was a beautiful night. Queen Axonia did a splendid job planning it, and was gracious enough to allow Selena to choose the location; the sweet, little Pixie glen just outside of Osbel tower. Selena and Titus married beneath the Pixie tree, sharing their first kiss as man and wife in a cloud of golden fairy dust and dancing Sprites. The Brothers Grimm returned to the world of men with their ship to invite Rose and Zoe to the ceremony. The two of them spent two days here in comfort and luxury, with tears in their eyes as we prepared Selena for her day. I sent them back reluctantly, with promises of allowing them to return soon. It is not safe for them to be here too long. While the battle of the Red Dawn was a victory, we still a long way to go on our journey toward peace.

  I’m sure you’d like to know that Selena’s gown was made from the most delicate of Goldun’s white and silver lace and her hair was worn in loose waves, dotted with fresh white blossoms. Titus’ gold tooth never left her neck. And so, my friend, if you are ever in Mollac or Goldun, and you happen to see a blur of red and a wisp of white fur, know that you are in the presence of Princess Eladria and her chosen prince, the future rulers of the Awcan wolf pack. Young Titus has proven his strength and I am confident that he will lead them well with Selena at his side.

  Oh, there is a knock at the door. It is Wilhelm Grimm, how delightful! I am excited about the latest development. One of the lost princesses of Mollac has been found. Yes, my friend, we are talking about Eranna’s only child here. Of all the lost princesses, besides the daughter of King Endroth, this girl might be the most at risk. I fear for her, but am also confident in her ability to speak to the earth. It should prove to be an interesting fulfillment of prophecy.

  But that is another story altogether.

  ~*~

  About The Author

  Ever since she first read books like Chronicles of Narnia or Goosebumps, Alicia has been a lover of mind-bending fiction. Wherever imagination takes her, she is more than happy to call that place her home. The mother of two and wife to an Army sergeant loves chocolate, coffee, and of course good books. When not writing, you can usually find her with her nose in a book, shopping for shoes and fabulous jewelry, or spending time with her loving family.

  Alicia can be found on the web at any of the following links:

  www.fantasybyalicia.com

  www.facebook.com/fantasybyalicia

  www.goodreads.com/alicia_michaels

  Follow her at Twitter: @fantasybyalicia

  Coming soon from Alicia Michaels…

  Child of the Sacred Earth

  The Lost Kingdom of Fallada Book #2

  2013

  The Bionics

  The Bionics Series Book #1 (A post-apocalyptic, dystopian, future era novelette series)

  Release dates to be announced